of buffalo



R. L. HANAU.

FLOW INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. m9.

1,325,514. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

ll|||IIIIlIIIIIIHA|IIIIIIIH|HII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH L. HANAU, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO HYDREX ENGINEERINGCORR, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLOW-INDICATOR.

T0 allcohom it may concern:

13c it known that I, RUDOLPH L. HANAU, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re-

siding at Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Flow-Indicators, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a flow indicator inwhich the pressure of the gas shalltend to seal the joints of theindicator.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature in which the fluid,as it enters the piston tube, shall be given a whirling action causingthe piston of the device to rotate.

Another object is to provide a stop for limiting the upward motion ofthe piston.

Furthermore, my device is simple in its construction and reliable andaccurate in its operation and indication.

The above objects and advantages are ac complished by the device shownin the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional elevation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevation of the lower part of thepiston tube showing the inclined fluid passages.

Fig. 3 is a sectional, plan view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, exterior view,

. showing the graduations of the device.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the upper end of the pistontube.

My invention comprises a head 10 having a fluid .inlet 11 and a fluidoutlet 12. A cen-' tral aperture 13 is provided and this aperture isconnected with the outlet 12 by means of a port 14. The piston tube 15of my device is slightly tapered and has its larger di-' ameter at theupper end. This tube is carried by the head 10 and has its upper endmounted within an enlarged aperture 16, in register preferably with theaperture 13.

17 is a casing which is screw-threaded to the head 10 and which isprovided with an inwardly extending flange 18. This flange provides asupport for the glass tube 19 of my device. This tube extendssubstantially.

the entire length of the device and is provided at its upper end with aflange 20, which engages with the flange 18 of the casing 17, havingsuitable interposed packing Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed April 24, 1919. Serial No. 292,406.

21. A nut 22, screw-threaded into the casing 17 is arranged to hold theflange 20 of the gas tube in place. The inlet port 11 is connected withthe interior of the casing 17 and glass tube 19 by means of a port 23.

At the lower end of the piston tube 15 is secured an inlet plug 24 whichis provided with a central aperture 25 -for the reception of the pistonrod 26 of the piston 27. Around the opening 25 is a plurality of inletpassages 28, which are inclined as shown in the drawings, so as to givethe fluid awhirling action as it enters the bottom of the piston tube15.

At the lower end of the piston rod 26 is provided an indicating disk 29.This disk will move adjacent a suitable graduated scale 30 provided onthe glass tube 19. 31 is a protecting tube which may be made an integralpart of the casing 17 or made a separate part secured thereto. Alongitudinal opening 32 is provided near the lower end of the tube 31,whereby the portion of the glass tube 19 having the graduated scale 30will be exposed to view.

This base is secured to the lower end of this tube and provides a meansfor supporting the device. The bottom of the glass tube 19 is laterallysupported within the protecting tube 31 by a packing 34 of plaster-Parisor other suitable material.

At the upper end of the piston tube 15 is provided a stop plug 35. whichlimits the upward travel of the piston 27. This plug is provided with acentral aperture 38 and a plurality of lateral slots 36 which allow theliquid to flow even though the piston is held against the stop. At'theextreme upper end of the piston tube 15 is provided a short, taperedcounterbore 37. When the piston is in its maximum upper position, thiscounterbore enlarges the area of the orifice between the piston and thepiston tube so as to permit an abnormal flow of fluid to more read ilypass by the piston. This counterbore also provides a space through whichthe piston may fall when the flow of fluid has been reduced to normal.38 is a pressure gage, which isscrew-threaded into the upper end of thehead 10 and indicates the static pressure of the fluid flowing throughthe lndicator.

When fluid under pressure is flowing through the indicator it will enterthe port 11 and pass downwardly through the port 23 and into theinterior of the glass tube 19. It will then pass upwardly through theinclined passages 28 in the inlet plug 24 and flow upwardly carryingwith. it the piston 27. As is well known, the orifice between the outerperiphery of the piston and the inner wall of the piston tube 15slightly increases as the piston is moved upwardly. The piston will beraised by the fluid to a point where its Weight will counterbalance thedifferential pressure which forces the fluid through the annular orificeand the rate of flow will be indicated by the position of the disk 29.

It is obvious that some modifications of the details herein shown anddescribed may be made without departing from the spirit of my inventionor the scope of the appended claims; and I do not, therefore, wish to belimited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a flow indicator, the combination with a piston tube and a piston,of a head provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a casingsecured to the head and provided with an inwardly extending flange, aglass tube provided at its upper end with an outwardly extending flangeand closed at its lower end, packing means arranged between the flanges,and means for forcing the flanges toward each other, whereby the fluidpressure tends to seal the tube joint.

2. A flow indicator, comprising a head provided with a fluid inlet and afluid outlet, a casing secured to the head, a glass tube carried by thecasing, a piston tube carried by the head, open at its upper end to thefluid outlet, an inlet plug secured at the lower end of the piston tube,the plug being provided with a central aperture and a plurality ofinclined apertures disposed around the central aperture, a piston rodpassing through the central aperture of the plug, a piston carried atthe upper end of the piston rod, and an indicating disk carried at thelower end of the rod.

3. In a flow indicator, the combination with a, piston tube and apiston, of a head provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, acasing secured to the head and provided with an inwardly extendingflange, a glass tube provided at its inner end with an outwardlyextending flange and closed at its lower end, packing means arrangedbetween the flanges, means for forcing the flanges toward each other,and a stop plug secured at the upper end of the tube for limiting theupward travel of the piston.

4. A flow indicator, comprising a head provided with a fluid inlet and afluid outlet, a casing secured to the head, a glass tube carried by thecasing, a piston tube carried by the head, open at its upper end to thefluid outlet, a piston rod, a piston carried at the upper end of thepiston rod, an indicating disk carried at the lower end of the rod, anda graduation scale associated with the indicating disk. 7

5. A flow indicator, comprising a head provided with a fluid inlet and afluid outlet, a casing secured to the head, a glass tube mounted Withinthe casing and supported therein at its upper and lower ends, a pistontube carried by the casing, a piston within the piston tube, a pistonrod for the piston, the casing being formed near its lower end with anelongated opening, the glass tube being provided with a graduated scale,and an indicating disk secured to the lower end of the piston rod andmoving adjacent the scale.

6. A flow indicator, comprising a head provided with a fluid inlet and afluid outlet, a casing secured to the head, a glass tube carried by thecasing, a piston tube carried by the head, open at its upper end to thefluid outlet and provided at that end with a relief taper, a pistonmounted to move within the piston tube, apiston rod for the piston, andindicating means carried at the lower end of the rod.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto sign my name.

RUDOLPH L. HANAUr

